Endoscope comprising a bending section having displaced steering wire lumens

Abstract

An endoscope including a handle and an insertion cord having a bending section body, a first steering wire portion, and a second steering wire portion. The bending section body includes segments and hinges keeping together, and formed integrally with, the segments, a center axis and a center plane traversing the center axis, the center plane dividing the bending section into a first bending section side and a second bending section side, and the segments including passages that together form a working channel lumen having a non-circular cross-section. Steering wire lumens are displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side and configured to accommodate the first and second steering wire portions.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An endoscope comprising:
 a handle;   an insertion cord extending from the handle, the insertion cord comprising an insertion tube and a bending section having a bending section body; and   a working channel tube;   a first steering wire portion;   a second steering wire portion;   the bending section body comprising segments and hinges keeping together, and formed integrally with, the segments, the bending section body having a center axis and a center plane traversing the center axis, the center plane dividing the bending section into a first bending section side and a second bending section side, and the segments comprising:
 passages that together form a working channel lumen, the working channel lumen having a non-circular cross-section and the working channel tube positioned, at least in part, in the working channel lumen; 
 first steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the first steering wire portion, the first steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side; and 
 second steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the second steering wire portion, the second steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side, 
 wherein the first steering wire lumens are aligned along a first axis and the second steering wire lumens are aligned along a second axis, a steering wire passage plane traversing the first axis and the second axis, the steering wire passage plane being parallel to and displaced from the center plane, and 
 wherein the steering wire passage plane is displaced from the center plane by a distance (d) which is greater than or equal to 0.2 mm. 
   
     
     
         2 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein an average diameter of the bending section body is in the range of 2.5 mm to 6.0 mm, and wherein the distance (d) is greater than or equal to 6% of the average diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the distance (d) is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the bending section body comprises a circular cross-section, and wherein the average diameter is the diameter of the circular cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein a first hinge of the hinges and a second hinge of the hinges connect two of the segments, wherein the first hinge is provided on the first side and the second hinge is provided on the second side. 
     
     
         6 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the working channel tube, prior to assembly, is circular. 
     
     
         7 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the non-circular cross-section of the working channel lumen has a shape of a widened or bulged circle having at least two bulge portions in which the cross-section of the working channel lumen is widened or extended compared to a circular cross-section. 
     
     
         8 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the working channel lumen includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion lies in the first side, the second portion lies in the second side, and the second portion is larger than the first portion. 
     
     
         9 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the bending section body further comprises an electrical wire lumen arranged on the first side and provided for accommodating electrical wires or electrical cables. 
     
     
         10 . The endoscope of  claim 9 , wherein the working channel lumen and the electrical wire lumen are both circumferentially closed. 
     
     
         11 . The endoscope of  claim 9 , wherein the electrical wire lumen is a bulge portion of the working channel lumen. 
     
     
         12 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the bending section body is made from one or two pieces, the one or two pieces made of polymer material. 
     
     
         13 . The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein an average diameter of the bending section body is less than 6.0 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The endoscope of  claim 13 , wherein the average diameter of the bending section body is less than 3.1 mm. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 the endoscope according to  claim 1 , and a monitor.   
     
     
         16 . An endoscope comprising:
 a handle;   an insertion cord extending from the handle, the insertion cord comprising an insertion tube and a bending section having a bending section body; and   a working channel tube;   a first steering wire portion;   a second steering wire portion;   the bending section body comprising segments and hinges keeping together, and formed integrally with, the segments, the bending section body having a center axis and a center plane traversing the center axis, the center plane dividing the bending section into a first bending section side and a second bending section side, and the segments comprising:
 passages that together form a working channel lumen, the working channel lumen having a non-circular cross-section and the working channel tube positioned, at least in part, in the working channel lumen; 
 first steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the first steering wire portion, the first steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side; and 
 second steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the second steering wire portion, the second steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side, 
   wherein a first hinge of the hinges and a second hinge of the hinges connect two of the segments, wherein the first hinge is provided on the first side and the second hinge is provided on the second side, and   wherein the first hinge is stiffer than the second hinge.   
     
     
         17 . An endoscope comprising:
 a handle;   an insertion cord extending from the handle, the insertion cord comprising an insertion tube and a bending section having a bending section body; and   a working channel tube;   a first steering wire portion;   a second steering wire portion;   the bending section body comprising segments and hinges keeping together, and formed integrally with, the segments, the bending section body having a center axis and a center plane traversing the center axis, the center plane dividing the bending section into a first bending section side and a second bending section side, and the segments comprising:
 passages that together form a working channel lumen, the working channel lumen having a non-circular cross-section and the working channel tube positioned, at least in part, in the working channel lumen; 
 first steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the first steering wire portion, the first steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side; and 
 second steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the second steering wire portion, the second steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side, 
   wherein the non-circular cross-section of the working channel lumen has a shape of a widened or bulged circle having at least two bulge portions in which the cross-section of the working channel lumen is widened or extended compared to a circular cross-section, and   wherein the non-circular cross-section of the working channel lumen has a cross-sectional shape of an isosceles trapezoid with rounded corners, and wherein the bulge portions are adjacent the rounded corners.   
     
     
         18 . A visualization system comprising:
 an endoscope comprising:
 a handle; 
 an insertion cord extending from the handle, the insertion cord comprising an insertion tube and a bending section having a bending section body, the bending section body having a diameter in the range of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm; and 
 a working channel tube; 
 a first steering wire portion; 
 a second steering wire portion; 
 the bending section body comprising segments and hinges keeping together, and formed integrally with, the segments, the bending section body having a center axis and a center plane traversing the center axis, the center plane dividing the bending section into a first bending section side and a second bending section side, and the segments comprising:
 passages that together form a working channel lumen, the working channel lumen having a non-circular cross-section and the working channel tube positioned, at least in part, in the working channel lumen; 
 first steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the first steering wire portion, the first steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side by a distance (d) which is greater than or equal to 8% of the diameter; and 
 second steering wire lumens configured to accommodate the second steering wire portion, the second steering wire lumens displaced with respect to the center plane towards the first side by the distance (d). 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a monitor.